(a) They either forget, or, were not taught, that Paul was a Lawyer, taught all Law & Customs & History of the Hebrew people & their Religion. That the man who taught Paul, was Gamaliel, a man, whom to this day; Jewish Rabbi's declare a Teacher of the Law only below Moses.
(b) They do not realize that it was Gamaliel, whom was highly respected in Rome as a Roman/Jewish Attorney, himself, who also taught Saul/Paul all the Roman Laws.
(c) That because Paul actually was from Tarsus, rather than the center of Jewish Life of Jerusalem, until he was taken to Rome, interviewed by the acting Caeser & the Senate in Rome, approved for Roman Citizenship & to the Judean/Samaritan Provincial Senate of Rome, called the Sanhedrin; he was also great influenced by the various Empirecal sub-cultures.
(d) That he was from a very powerful Jewish Clan of wealthy business men and women.
(f) That being a "TOP ROMAN / JUDEAN Attorney; Saul/Paul always wrote as an attorney, thought and spoke as an attorney.
g) Being as such, serving in an Empire where even Hebrews, who followed Moses, came from many different Sub Nationalities, scattered across the Empire.
(h) Therefore, as a trained Attorney, each writing (Letter actually) was written in the style of building a Court Case, being directed as TARGETED TO the specific culture of whom he was writing.
(i) Thusly; It is vital for any student of the Bible, and especially of the writings of Saul/Paul; to understand that every single noted item above; played into his writing style.
(j) Further; As a practice Attorney, he would write as though, from a multi-pronged viewpoint so as to
(1) build a systematic court case to prove the truth he saw,
(2) to teach/show, the reader of his DAY, where their error was in thinking.
(k) He also saw a Tri-Fold Life System, affecting every Believer.
(1) He saw each Believer struggling within his own sub-culture and the traditions & customs of their own sub-culture,
(2) He saw every Believer as actually living a duality: One part continuously in this Earthly Realm, held and hindered by it's structures and strictures, while in the other active portion; every Believer was actually, already dwelling in the Spiritual, Eternal, Heavenly Realm, thru Christ Jesus & the Holy Spirit, Yahweh, at the same time.
Consequently: As today, (IF) the average Citizen were to receive an Attorney's Legal Brief & Case in writing; of which that Attorney has previously written in the American Court System (which in actuality are written, using the very same Ancient Hebrew Court Document Writing Systems, even today......... That Believer would usually struggle and believe the attorney who wrote the brief; was bouncing from one standpoint to another. When in reality, similarly; as Attorneys today, write, using the following steps usually, of; Introductive Thought, followed by a point by point, stair step system, until they have built their case point; followed by a total summation; which in itself, repeats usually the sum of the whole argument. For this cause [Concerning Saul/Paul's] Writings, even then: Peter declared, saying of Paul's Writings; "They are hard to follow and harder to understand...."
Now, Saul, Paul, being an Attornery, would have automatically considered EACH LETTER as simply a "builder's Stone" fitly placed upon the previously written letter; whether the intended reader had seen Saul/Paul's previously written letters. Why? Because every Attorney is taught to understand, that NO Case stands upon it's own merit. Rather, each case must be proven, by standing upon all other preceeding cases. This was customarilly taught in that day.....for all Lawyers. Therefore; this is why Saul/Paul, wrote to Timothy, demanding as an order, rather thsn as a suggestion; that Timothy......."STUDY to show yourself a Teacher, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." (AND) the "Word" which Paul was writing about, was not other Epistles in that Letter, but rather, he was speaking of the Writings of the Prophets, the Chronicles of the Kings, Psalms, Proverbs, and all of the Davidic/Solomonic Writings. We would commonly know them as the Talmud & Torah.
Or, as Old Testament.....though the Western Church Old Testament does not contain ALL of the Prophet's Writings of which Rabbi's tofday, still declare were anointedly written under the direct unction of Yahweh, the Holy Spirit; And as the Ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church (the oldest surving church from Jesus' desciples, in actuality; holds to those same beyond and including the Western Church's accepted Bible. Writings such as the Writer whom Jesus was quoting, when he was teaching on marriage subjects......Barrukk the student Prophet trained by Jeremiah the Prophet. Now, therefore: When reading Paul's Writings.... to insure one is truly understanding his message correctly:
It is best to learn the following;
1. WHO was he writing to?
2. WHAT was their culture & understanding level concerning Moses' and Judaism as a Religion?
3. UNDERSTANDING all of Paul's personal training in the LAW, PROPHETS, TALMUD, TORAH, (AND) Roman Law as well?
4. Remembering that Paul saw everyone living a "DUAL LIFE" constantly...... One of "OUTWARD APPEARANCES"....while living one of "ETERNAL, SPIRITUAL, HEAVENLY MEMBERSHIP ALREADY THRU JESUS" at the same time.
5. REMEMBERING ALWAYS as one reads, that to receive a full understanding of some meaning of Paul, one needs to READ THE WHOLE LETTER, first looking for the main sub-dividers of Introduction~Itemized Listings of his Main Case Goal, realizing that when it "Appears Paul is changing to a completely different thought.....in reality, it is simply a "By-Way" to help furnish further evidence to build toward his Main THought Goal in his case, and then, look for a summation to round everything up.
There are Key Phrases Paul used to re-signify all of the above...... Statements such as; ".....in the LAW you understand......." "......in the Kingdom of Heaven....." ".....dwelling in Heavenly Places IN Christ Jesus...." "....being free from the curse of the Law..." ".......man looks upon the outward appearances, while the Elohim looks on the heart (inward purpose....." "........Works done without Charity, are as sounding brash & tinkling cymbals......." A perfect example of this is found in First Corinthians Chapter 7. Most Preachers and BElievers teach and hang whole doctrines on the English translations of the first half of that chapter, as the guideline for marriage and divorce and remarriage, yet ignoring that in verses 27 & 28, when applying the original greek definitions to his words translated in english; one finds Paul declaring the word LUO, where the english word is loosed.....There-by, many Preachers and theologians wrongly have taught that Paul was talking about engaged people, having a broken engagement, when re-marrying.... when in reality: the Word LUO rightly defines a marriage that has been totally desimated, destroyed, cut assunder.... while allowing re-marriage. [This teaching will not debate the divorce subject]. Another was when Paul told the Believers (apparently) that their women should.....
..SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP in Church......
While in other places clearly shows women in ministry roles. One such example is CHLOE! In every culture of that Era; CHLOE was ALWAYS known singularly, as a Female, a Woman's name!
Never was it used signifying MALE! Yet, Saul/Paul wrote noting Chloe's Church in her home...... Now, to the untrained reader (untrained in all of the above....) it would appear Paul was contradicting himself. In reality, he was showing believers how to walk and mature spiritually, while at the same time, being concerned NOT to confuse or distract a new or weak, fearful Believer..... Another set of "Key" Pauline Phrases to show as example are;.......... "Put on the whole armor of God......" or, "In the Kingdom, there's neither male nor female...." others are found in Titus, Timothy 1,2........ Another such example was Saul/Paul writing about Elders being Husband of one Wife..... THe modern American Church has wronmgly interpreted this to throw away anointed Believers who went through divorce! Yet, as I was hinting at in the beginning of this treatice concerning Paul......Catholic Historians of the Roman Government Documents clearly ahow that Roman/Sanhedrin Rules and Regulations, required Paul to be married. Yet he clearly lived most the second half his life as a single male..... except for the statement/question: "..
"....Am I the only Apostle not allowed to take unto myself a wife?" What has been cleverly forgotten was this: As it still is in the majority of the Arabic, and even some other regions of the world......In Judaism, and even in Christendom until nearly 300 A.D. It was always a lawful practice for a man to have as many Wives as he could afford. Polygamy was a normal facet of life in all cultures, including very early Christanity. But by about 70 A.D., the acting Apostles and Bishops decided that it was better.......as a LIVING TESTIMONY of the Barukkian teaching on marriage, of which Yeshua/Jesus expanded on......that those living in the FIVE FOLD MINISTRIES, the Deacons, be actively married to ONLY ONE WOMAN AT A TIME. There-by signifying the Unity of mind~body~spirit~goals~purpose~dreams~goals of which the Master/Jesus had for them which HE would fulfill in and thru their life as "ONE RESTORED HUMAN BEING.... as ADAM & EVER BEFORE THEY FELL" signifying the purity of which Jesus brings. Yet, even in this.....Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gave a Way of Restoration & Freedom from the CURSE OF THE LAW as recorded in First Corinthians Chapter 7: verses 1-28...... Yet in that same passage, he seems to contradict himself, unless one remembers that he saw all Believers livinbg a "Dual Existance"..... Earth Realm & Heavenly Realm at the sametime thru Christ Jesus.... for he gives a spiritual 29-40........ NOW! THere are those of foreign religions beyond Judaism & Christianity, in which some theologians have begun a concerted effort to tear down the Bible and Christianity at large, by attacking the Holy Spirit Inspired Writer of 2/3 of the New Testament, Paul the Apostle. Sadly..... some of their followers are now (having been taught it okay and worthy, to lie..... to gain a greater victory......are showing themselves falsely as being Christans......
This has sadly been the case from the very beginning of the Risen Savior. In Summation: Study Paul's Writings with the fresh understanding found in this treatice and you will be able to "Rightly Understand" how Paul uses a [Another "Key Phrase Example of Paul's thinking process"]
"the word of God is a TWO EDGED SWORD DIVIDING MARROW FROM SPIRIT".......
in other words, Paul was saying......Learn how to understand that God's Word deals both with the actual, physical, cultural surrounding you live in, while on a deeper sense, we are to learn how to live as fully spiritual beings in the Heavenly Realm, thru Christ Jesus. THere in again; Paul was re-saying what he had before: "While man looks upon the outward appearances of things.......Elohim looks upon the heart.....of the matter." paraphrased....
.. Now: Remembering that Paul was "Taught" by the Lord after Jesus appeared unto him on the highway to Damascus; he said in the days following....... So, his finite brain was "Re-Programed" to think more as Yeshua/Jesus thought....remembering that Jesus always taught using "Double meaning Parables".
.
No comments:
Post a Comment